Hair grooming implement cleaning solution

ABSTRACT

A new composition and method for cleaning hair grooming implements is provided. The composition comprises about 1.1% Sodium Hypochlorite, about 2.5% Sodium Hydroxide, about 0.5% Lithium Perchlorate and about 95.9% water. A concentrated version of the solution may be formed and later diluted for use.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a solution and method for using asolution for cleaning and disinfecting hair grooming implements such ascombs and brushes used by a barber or hair salon stylist. The cleaningand disinfecting solution and the method of its use dissolve hair.Specifically, the present invention relates to a new cleaningcomposition and a method of using a new cleaning composition comprisingat least one compound selected from the group consisting of sodiumhypochlorite, sodium hydroxide, and lithium perchlorate in an aqueoussolution. Substitute ingredients are also contemplated.

2. Description of the Related Art

This invention relates to a composition which digests hair. There aredrain cleaners which dissolve hair which are known in the market. Thesecleaners contain sodium or lithium hydroxide and sodium or lithiumhypochlorite. However, the known chemical compositions are harsh becausethey are directed specifically to plumbing applications. The plumbingcompositions are not intended, formulated or optimized to be used withhair grooming implements and accessories such as brushes and combs.

In addition, there are solid hair dissolving products that are dissolvedin water and then in turn used to dissolve hair. However, these productstake too long a time to work for hair care professionals, and they areknown to have bad odors.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,136,768 issued to Dawson, et al., is directed to a draincleaning tablet having a composition which includes chemicals todissolve hair. However, the composition has high concentrations of botha metal oxide and a hypochlorite generator for actively causing theremoval of a greasy or waxy plug from a drain. The high concentrationsof the metal oxide and a hypochlorite generator would, in the presenceof water, generate large amounts of heat and agitation which would notbe acceptable for the business of a haircutter, and certainly not on ashelf or stand in a restricted area where a hair care professionalgenerally operates.

Thus it can be seen that there remains a need for a composition forgently but quickly dissolving hair from an implement such as a comb orbrush in a reasonable amount of time. There further is a need for acomposition that dissolves hair and disinfects hair grooming implementswhich may be used with simple protection such as gloves and eyeprotection, which would ordinarily be used by a hair cutter or stylistfor other hair care preparations.

There further is a need for a method and solution which dissolved hairand sediments and disinfects the hair grooming implements and which doesnot have an offensive odor.

In addition, there is a need for a solution which is made in aconcentrated form that is stable for long term storage.

The present invention has been developed to help address these needs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a method and solution for gentlydissolving hair and sediments on hair grooming implements such as combsand brushes used by a barber or hair salon stylist. The method andsolution also disinfect the implements.

The present invention provides a method and composition for removinghair from hair grooming implements such as brushes and combs anddisinfecting the implements that is gentle so that hair groomingimplements may be quickly rinsed and re-used by the user giving haircare such as haircutters without the need for bulky chemical safetyequipment. The composition would also dissolve hair and sedimentedparticles within a reasonable time for a brush or comb to be reused bythe user. Also, the composition would have sufficient stability so thatit may be stored on site at the hair cutter's place of business.

The composition would be nearly odorless.

The method and composition would act as a disinfectant against microbes,including bacteria, protozoa and viruses.

A concentrated formulation is also useful so that it may be diluted by auser to a useful concentration at the time it is to be used.

The solution may be made in a concentrated form which is stable for longterm storage.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute partof this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention andtogether with the description, serve to explain the principles of theinvention. The embodiments illustrated are examples. It is understoodthat the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements andinstrumentalities shown, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates samples of different amounts of hair placed in aformulation of the solution of the invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates samples of different amounts of hair placed in aformulation of the solution of the invention after 30 minutes.

FIG. 3A illustrates the amount of dissolution of hair observedimmediately after insertion into a formulation of the solution of theinvention.

FIG. 3B illustrates the amount of dissolution of hair observed 15minutes after insertion into a formulation of the solution of theinvention.

FIG. 3C illustrates the amount of dissolution of hair observed 30minutes after insertion into a formulation of the solution of theinvention.

FIG. 4A illustrates a comb with hair entangled in it.

FIG. 4B illustrates a comb with hair entangled in it dipped inapproximately 50 ml of a formulation of the solution of the invention.

FIG. 4C illustrates a comb after hair and other residues are completelydissolved by a formulation of the solution of the invention.

FIG. 4D illustrates a rinsed clean comb removed from a formulation ofthe solution of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a successful cleaning and disinfectingsolution for hair grooming implements such as combs, brushes and othersalon tools.

I. Formulation for Implement Cleaning Solution

One formulation of the solution for cleaning hair grooming implementsincludes sodium hypochlorite, sodium hydroxide and lithium perchlorate.Water is a solvent for the solution. Efficacy tests were conducted for asolution having the composition provided in Table 1. In the test, 10 mlof the solution effectively digested 0.1 g of human hair and otherresidues on hair grooming implements within a window of about 30 minuteswith minimal safety concerns.

TABLE 1 Formulation for Hair Dissolution CONCENTRATION BY INGREDIENTWEIGHT Sodium Hypochlorite 1.1% Sodium Hydroxide 2.5% LithiumPerchlorate 0.5% Water 95.9%

Deionized water was used for testing.

Substitution of ingredients may be made as indicated in Table 2 below:

TABLE 2 Substitute Ingredients INGREDIENT AND CONCENTRATION BY WEIGHTSUBSTITUTION Sodium Hypochlorite 1.1% Potassium Hypochlorite 1.35%Sodium Hydroxide 2.5% Potassium Hydroxide 3.5% Lithium Perchlorate 0.5%Lithium Chlorite 0.27%

Other substitutions for ingredients having similar chemical propertiesas the tested ingredients are also contemplated.

Heterogeneous hair samples were used for testing.

Tests confirmed that 10 ml of the formulated implement cleaning solutionreadily dissolves about 0.05 g of hair in less than 30 minutes of time.

Series of tests were performed on 0.02, 0.05, 0.10, 0.15 and 0.20 gramsof hair. Illustrations of the testing of the samples of hair tested areshown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, about 0.02 grams of hair are shown to beclearly dissolved at 10 mL of the composition described in Table 1.Furthermore, tests confirmed that 10 ml of the formulated solutionreadily digest about 0.05 g of hair in less than 30 minutes of time FIG.2. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1, a series of tests was performed withvarying amounts of the composition of the invention clearly show that 10ml of the combination described in Table 1 has a capacity to digestabout 0.1 g of human hair within a 30 minute time frame.

Also, a range of concentrations were tested for the individualingredients. The concentrations provided in the given formulationprovide the results shown herein.

Also, while slight deviations of the concentrations provided herein willnot make significant deviations in the efficacy of the formulation,changes in the ingredient concentrations were determined to affect thetime taken to complete the hair digestion. A 10 mL solution withconcentrations in Table 1 effectively digests 0.1 g of human hair andother residues on salon tools within a window of 30 minutes. Table 3below describes the concentrations of ingredients tested:

TABLE 3 Range of Concentrations of Ingredients Tested RANGE OFCONCENTRATIONS INGREDIENT TESTED Sodium Hypochlorite 0.2% to 10% SodiumHydroxide 1.5% to 10% Lithium Perchlorate 0.1% to 2% Deionized water N/A

II. Concentrated Formulation for Cleaning and Disinfecting Solution

A concentrate of the hair grooming implement cleaning solution isformulated for efficient use and ease of handling. The composition ofthe concentrate (10X) is shown in Table 4 below. The concentrate needsto be diluted before use.

TABLE 4 Formulation for 10x Concentrate CONCENTRATION BY INGREDIENTWEIGHT Sodium Hypochlorite 11% Sodium Hydroxide 25% Lithium Perchlorate 5% Deionized water 59%

One method for diluting the concentrated solution is as follows:

Add about 4.5 liters of water into a large container capable of holdingat least 5 liters.

Add about 500 ml of the 10X concentrate of the implement cleaningsolution to the container.

Agitate the diluted concentrate well before using it.

Allow the concentrate to mix well with the water.

Dip the implements to be cleaned in the solution. The implements may besubmerged for full contact with the solution.

Remove the implements after leaving them for 30-45 minutes based on thelevel of cleaning required.

Rinse the implements thoroughly to remove the intact cleaning solution.

Once the maximum implement limit is reached, the solution may bedisposed.

Assuming that there is about 0.1 g of hair left on a hair groomingimplement after a single use, and 10 ml are used for each cleaning, the5 liter solution will be able to clean and disinfect approximately 500implements.

Other diluted volumes of the cleaning solution are represented in Table5 below:

TABLE 5 Dilution formulas To make the final solution at an approximatetotal volume Components 1 quart 2 quart 3 quart 10X 3.2 ounce 6.4 ounce9.6 ounce concentrate Deionized 29 ounce (3 cups 58 ounce (1 quart, 87ounce (2 quart, water and 5 ounce) 3 cups and 2 cups and 2 ounce) 7ounce)

A method of cleaning implements using a solution of this invention isdescribed herein and illustrated by the use of a comb in FIGS. 4Athrough 4D. FIG. 4A shows a comb with hair entangled in it. Thehair-entangled comb is then placed in the solution. As shown in FIG. 4B,approximately 50 ml may be used for a medium sized comb. The comb isleft in the solution for approximately 30 minutes, after which time hairand the other residues were completely digested, as shown in FIG. 4C.The comb may then be removed from the solution and rinsed. The cleancomb, shown in FIG. 4D is free from hair and other sediments and readyfor another use.

The physical appearance of the formulated 10x concentrated solution islightly turbid due to the high concentration of solute matter. Upondilution, the solution appears as a transparent non-turbid solution.Both the concentrate and the final diluted product have very lightchlorine smells due to the dissolved active chlorine. However, the odoris so slight that it is close to odorless. Upon consumption of theactive chlorine in the solution, the solution acquires a browncoloration and it is an indication that the maximum cleaning capacityhas reached, as illustrated in the fifth vial in FIG. 2. Implements maybe thoroughly washed with water to remove the intact cleaning solutionprior to use on a person.

The formulated solution has been proven to cleanse implements fromtrapped hair and other sedimented particles after exposing theimplements to the formulated solution for approximately 30 mins. Inaddition to cleaning the implements by dissolving hair and sediments,the active chlorine in the solution helps disinfect the implement. Also,the active chlorine may inactivate all types of microbes includingbacteria, protozoa and viruses.

The formulated solution will have similar stability to regular householdliquid bleach and may be stored accordingly, such as at room temperaturein closed container, away from direct sunshine and heat.

It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the presentinvention is not limited to what has been particularly shown anddescribed herein above. In addition, unless mention was made above tothe contrary, it should be noted that the accompanying drawings are notto scale. A variety of modifications and variations are possible inlight of the above teachings without departing from the scope and spiritof the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A hair grooming implement cleaning anddisinfecting composition which dissolves hair, comprising: at least oneof Sodium Hypochlorite and Potassium Hypochlorite, at least one ofSodium Hydroxide and Potassium Hydroxide, and at least one of LithiumPerchlorate and Lithium Chlorite. in an aqueous solution.
 2. Thecomposition of claim 1, wherein the Sodium Hypochlorite is between 0.2and 10 percent by weight of the solution.
 3. The composition of claim 1,wherein the Sodium Hydroxide is between 1.5 and 10 percent by weight ofthe solution.
 4. The composition of claim 1, wherein the LithiumPerchlorate is between 0.1 and 2 percent by weight of the solution.
 5. Ahair grooming implement cleaning and disinfecting composition whichdissolves hair, comprising a component mixture of: about 1.1% by weightSodium Hypochlorite; about 2.5% by weight Sodium Hydroxide; and about0.5% by weight Lithium Perchlorate in an aqueous solution.
 6. A hairgrooming implement cleaning and disinfecting composition which dissolveshair, comprising a component mixture of: about 1.35% by weight PotassiumHypochlorite; about 2.5% by weight Potassium Hydroxide; and about 0.5%by weight Lithium Chlorite in an aqueous solution.
 7. A hair groomingimplement cleaning and disinfecting method, comprising the steps of: a.providing a solution comprising a component mixture of: at least one ofSodium Hypochlorite and Potassium Hypochlorite, at least one of SodiumHydroxide and Potassium Hydroxide, and at least one of LithiumPerchlorate and Lithium Chlorite in an aqueous solution; b. placing atleast a portion of hair grooming implement in contact the solution; andc. allowing the hair grooming implement to remain in contact with thesolution for a sufficient time to dissolve hair or sediment on theimplement.
 8. The method of claim 8, wherein the sufficient time isapproximately 30 minutes.
 9. A concentrated hair grooming implementcleaning and disinfecting composition which dissolves hair, comprising acomponent mixture of: about 11% by weight Sodium Hypochlorite; about 25%by weight Sodium Hydroxide; and about 5% by weight Lithium Perchlorate;in an aqueous solution.